Search Results (84)

Background/Objectives: Hispanic adolescents experience elevated rates of disordered eating behaviors and body dissatisfaction, yet limited research has examined how gender and weight status interact to shape these risks within this population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 680 Hispanic adolescents (ages 9–15) from a predominantly Mexican-American middle school. Participants completed the Modified Kids Eating Disorder Survey (M-KEDS), and height and weight were objectively measured to determine BMI-for-age percentile. Chi-square tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, and logistic regression were used to assess differences by gender and weight status, including interaction effects. Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple comparisons. Effect sizes (Cramér’s V, odds ratios with 95% CI) were reported. Results: Approximately 73% of participants reported body dissatisfaction, with significant differences observed by gender and weight status. Adolescents with overweight/obesity reported significantly higher negative weight attitudes and extreme weight control behaviors than healthy-weight peers (p < 0.001), with large effect sizes. Females endorsed more disordered attitudes and behaviors, except for exercise to lose weight, which was more common among overweight/obese males. Conclusions: These findings underscore the high prevalence and significance of disordered eating behaviors in Hispanic adolescents, including those at a healthy weight. Results highlight the importance of culturally tailored, gender-sensitive screening and prevention strategies. Schools serve as critical settings for early identification, and tools like the M-KEDS can help address disparities in care access and improve outcomes among Hispanic youth. Full article

Background/Objectives: Screen-related parenting practices (e.g., restriction, coviewing) influence the way children use screen devices. Although children start using screen devices (e.g., televisions [TV], tablets) in the first few years of life, rigorously developed measures of screen-related parenting practices for parents of toddlers do not exist. The objective of this study was to develop culturally and contextually relevant survey measures of screen-related parenting practices for use in Mexican American families with toddlers. Methods: Measures were developed using an exploratory sequential mixed methods (qualitative → quantitative) approach. Mexican American mothers of toddlers (15–26 months of age) participated in semi-structured interviews. Using the interview findings, domains of parenting practices across screen device types were identified, and survey items were developed. Items were administered by phone to 384 Mexican American mothers. Analyses included evaluation of the factor structure and psychometric properties of nine domains of parenting practices and evaluations of correlations between each scale and demographic characteristics. Results: Factor analyses supported a one-factor solution for each parenting practice as follows: Restrict TV Time (8 items), Coview TV (10 items), Behavioral Regulation with TV (12 items), Restrict Mobile Device Time (8 items); Coview Mobile Devices (10 items); Behavioral Regulation with Mobile Devices (16 items), Restrict Screen Content (8 items), Allow Screen Use Around Sleep (6 items), and Allow Screen Use While Eating (6 items). The reliabilities were acceptable (Cronbach’s alphas > 0.80). Hispanic acculturation, maternal age, and child age were correlated with many of the scales of parenting practices. Conclusions: The measures developed in this study offer a way to evaluate the use and impact of screen-related parenting practices in Mexican American families with toddlers. The use of these measures will enable investigators to identify relationships among parenting practices, screen use, and child well-being, which could inform the design of early childhood interventions promoting healthy screen use in this population. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sexual attitudes, particularly those on the erotophilia (positive openness) to erotophobia (negative fear) scales, play a critical role in shaping behaviors and health decisions. While associations between sexual behavior and substance use have been documented, limited research has explored how sexual attitudes relate to mental health and substance use among Latin American university populations. This study aimed to examine the associations among erotophilic attitudes, mental health symptoms (anxiety and depression), substance use risk, and sexual behaviors in Mexican university students. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted between 2019 and 2023 with 1475 undergraduate students aged 17–25 years. Participants completed the Revised Sexual Opinion Survey (R-SOS) to assess sexual attitudes, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for mental health evaluation, and adapted items from the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) to measure substance use risk. Erotophilic attitudes were defined as R-SOS scores ≥ 70. Statistical tests included the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test for normality, t-tests or Mann–Whitney U tests for group comparisons, Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables, and Spearman’s correlations. Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AdORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: Erotophilic students were more likely to be male, older, initiate sexual activity earlier, and report a greater number of sexual partners. Erotophilia was positively associated with anxiety and tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use, and negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Multivariate analysis indicated that erotophilia was independently associated with male sex, age ≥ 20, higher anxiety, lower depression, low socioeconomic status, and increased risk of tobacco and marijuana use. Lower rates of consistent condom use were also reported among erotophilic individuals. Conclusions: Erotophilia may serve as a behavioral risk marker linked to anxiety symptoms and increased substance use, but not to depression. These findings highlight the need for integrated interventions addressing sexual health, substance use, and mental well-being in university populations. Full article

Background: MSLQ is a self-report instrument that measures motivational orientations and learning strategies of college students and is widely used to measure self-regulated learning. MSLQ has not been translated into Spanish and validated in the Spanish-speaking Latin American population. Objective: The objective of the study is to adapt, validate, and perform a factorial reduction of 9 out of 15 scales of the MSLQ instrument and correlate the scales with the grade point average (GPA) of a sample of health sciences university students. Methods: Nine scales (48 items) of the MSLQ were translated into Spanish and adapted to the Mexican population. Students were invited directly in their classrooms and filled out an electronic questionnaire with personal variables and these nine scales of the MSLQ instrument. We performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) and based on the EFA a reduced version of the instrument was proposed. Results: A total of 439 students were included. The CFA showed unacceptable fit parameters with the original scale, therefore an item reduction and rearrangement were performed according to the EFA, and this yielded a reduced version with six scales and 25 items which showed acceptable fit parameters. This new reduced version rearranged the items of the effort regulation scale (ERE) into two different scales newly created in this version: time regulation (TRE) and self-regulation (SRE). The scales that disappeared in the reduced version were: intrinsic goal orientation (IGO), meta-cognitive self-regulation (MSR), and elaboration (ELA). Conclusions: The reduced version showed acceptable fit parameters that included the creation of two new scales (TRE and SRE). In addition, two scales were reduced (TVA and CTH), three scales were modified (MSE, TSE and ERE), two were unmodified (RHE and ORG), and two scales were eliminated (IGO and ELA). Full article

Lung cancer remains as the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. However, while current evidence suggests the existence of genomic differences between populations, indicating different risk factors associated with population-level genetic backgrounds, most studies have concentrated on populations of European ancestry, and more research is needed on non-European populations. We analyzed whole-exome sequencing data from 25 Mexican lung adenocarcinoma patients and compared them with a TCGA-PanCancer cohort enriched with patients of European ancestry as reference. Clinically relevant germline variants in cancer susceptibility genes are more frequent in our cohort (32% vs. 6.4%) than in the reference. Several mutational signatures (SBS32, SBS85, SBS12, SBS19) occurred at significantly higher frequencies in the Mexican cohort compared to the reference (p < 0.0001). Interestingly, the smoking-associated signature SBS4, present in 67.6% of smokers in the reference cohort, was absent in smoking Mexican patients (p < 0.01656). Somatic variant frequencies in SLC36A4 (20%; p < 0.00002), AP1S1 (8%; p < 0.00002), and TP53 (16%; p = 0.00005) showed significant differences from the European reference cohort. We demonstrate that all these observed biases were independent of the sample size. This study uncovers distinct genomic biases in lung cancer carcinogenesis in this population, compared to a European ancestry reference population, suggesting implications for precision medicine strategies in Latin American populations. Full article

Background/Aims: across protein-coding genes, single nucleotide allelic variants (SNVs) affect antidiabetic drug pharmacokinetics, thus contributing to interindividual variability in drug response. SNV frequencies vary across different populations. Studying ancestry proportions among SNV genotypes is particularly important for personalising diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2) treatment. Methods: a sample of 249 Mexican DMT2 patients was gathered. SNVs were determined through real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Molecular ancestries were determined as 3 clusters (Native-American, European, and African) based upon 90 ancestry markers (AIMS). Statistical inference tests were performed to analyse ancestry across 23 SNV genotypes. Allele and ancestry distributions were analysed through Spearman’s correlation. Results: ancestry medians were 65.48% Native-American (NATAM), 28.34% European (EUR), and 4.8% African (AFR). CYP2C8*3 and CYP2C8*4 were negatively correlated to NATAM, whereas positively to EUR. The activity score of CYP2C9 was correlated to NATAM (Rho = 0.131, p = 0.042). CYP2C19*17 and the activity score of CYP2C19 were negatively correlated to NATAM. The correlation throughout SLC22A1 variants, such as GAT in rs72552763, was positive by EUR, while A in rs594709 was negative thereby and positive by NATAM. SLC22A3 variant C in rs2076828 was positively correlated to NATAM. NATAM patients present higher HbA1c levels with respect to Mestizo patients (p = 0.037). Uncontrolled patients (HbA1c ≥ 7%) have a larger NATAM ancestry (p = 0.018) and lower EUR (p = 0.022) as compared to controlled patients (HbA1c < 7%). Conclusions: there is a correlation between ancestry and some pharmacokinetically relevant alleles among Mexican DMT2 patients. Ethnicity is relevant for personalised medicine across different populations. Full article

Coxiella burnetii is a significant infectious pathogen that causes Q fever. Q fever is thought to be uncommon in the US and most human cases are believed to occur in agricultural livestock workers. However, the extent of US community exposure to C. burnetii is not known with certainty. Using nationally representative 2003–2004 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey serologic, demographic, and occupational history data, the magnitude of US adult general population exposure to C. burnetii, excluding agricultural-sector workers, was estimated. Exposure was defined as positive serum IgG antibodies in an immunofluorescence assay (e.g., current or past infection). A total of 3.0% (95% CI: 2.0–4.4) of the US population met the criteria for C. burnetii exposure, representing some 6.2 million persons. Overall, 86.9% (95% CI: 75.5–98.4) of the seropositive persons had no lifetime history of work in the agricultural sector (5.5 million persons). This was consistently true across all US demographic groups: aged 20–59 years, 87.3%; aged 60+ years, 85.7%; men, 86.1%; women, 87.6%; non-Hispanic Whites, 82%; non-Hispanic Blacks, 95.8%; Mexican Americans, 89.4%; immigrants from Mexico, 83.5%; and other immigrants, 96.8%. As a proportion of C. burnetii infections result in acute Q fever and chronic Q fever conveys significant mortality, the community-level risks to the general public may be significant. It is recommended that a 6-year sample of the most recent NHANES stored sera be analyzed to determine the current community C. burnetii exposure rates. Also, analyzing an additional 2005–2008 stored sera sample would provide an opportunity to assess the time trends and long-term health impacts. Full article

Research on the relationship between resistin levels, metabolic health, and obesity has produced inconsistent findings across different ethnic groups, making it unclear whether lower resistin levels are associated with these conditions in Mexican-Americans. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between resistin, metabolic health, and obesity in an adult Mexican-American cohort (n = 1511) using multivariable linear regression analysis. Related adipokines (leptin and adiponectin) were measured simultaneously. Participants were categorized into four groups by metabolic health (healthy/unhealthy) and obesity (obese/non-obese) status. “Metabolically unhealthy” was defined as ≥2 cardiometabolic abnormalities. Obesity was defined as a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m². We also investigated the associations of related proinflammatory cytokines, demographic/anthropometric variables, and medications with each outcome variable of interest. The results showed no statistically significant differences in resistin levels between the groups. Leptin was higher and adiponectin was lower in groups with obesity and/or metabolically unhealthy status. The resistin findings contrast studies in other populations, while other leptin and adiponectin findings confirm those seen in many ethnic groups. Thiazolidinedione use was associated with lower resistin, confirming earlier research. These findings suggest that resistin’s role in metabolic health may be different in Mexican-Americans compared to other populations. Full article

White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) and Central American tapir (Tapirus bairdii) are two endangered ungulates that inhabit the Maya Forest in Southern Mexico. These species need water sources almost every day to fill their ecological and physiological needs. How have they survived in a landscape like the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve where the water is very scarce and temporal? We analyzed 10 years of data for both species, collected through the intensive use of camera traps located in 18 ephemeral ponds of the Mexican side of the Maya Forest. These data in combination with occasional data on individual movements of both species collected with radiotelemetry allowed us to describe changes in occupancy, abundance, and movements that show the different strategies these species must cope with during dry periods. The white-lipped peccary population passed through cycles and disappeared from periods of water scarcity, and later, they appeared and stayed close to a few sources of water while the tapir population remained constant and occupied almost all sources of water throughout the years. This contribution increases the ecological knowledge and survival strategies of two endangered tropical ungulates of Mesoamerican Forests that have been disappearing at alarming rates in other forests of the region. Full article

Xiphosurids (Merostomata, Xiphosura) are a group of chelicerates with a rich and complex evolutionary history that is constantly being updated through new discoveries. In this study, we re-estimated the divergence time of the extant horseshoe crab species with new fossil calibration points and addressed the inter- and intraspecific relationships of the American horseshoe crab through a phylogeographic perspective. In order to achieve our objectives, three datasets were compiled from fragments of different lengths of the COI gene that include sequences from 154 individuals, representing the Mexican populations. In addition to these, the datasets also included previously published sequences corresponding to individuals from different US populations and Asian horseshoe crab species. Firstly, we estimated the divergence times of extant horseshoe crab species by Bayesian methods using multiple fossil calibration points. Subsequently, we investigated the phylogeographic relationships and demographic history of Limulus polyphemus in the Americas utilizing various datasets. The time of divergence of the two Asian species clades was estimated to be approximately 127 million years ago (Ma). Phylogeographic relationships between the Asian and American species are linked through a minimum of 86 mutational steps. In America, phylogeographic relationships reflect differentiation between US and Mexican populations of L. polyphemus. We detect signs of demographic expansion for the Mexican population during the last 75,000 years, as well as an absence of phylogeographic structuring. The evolutionary history of horseshoe crabs is older than previously believed; however, the current distribution and demographic changes have probably been influenced by environmental events of the recent past, such as the glacial–interglacial periods that occurred during the Pleistocene. Full article

In Mexico, around 2.4 million people (1.9% of the national population) are deaf, and Mexican Sign Language (MSL) support is essential for people with communication disabilities. Research and technological prototypes of sign language recognition have been developed to support public communication systems without human interpreters. However, most of these systems and research are closely related to American Sign Language (ASL) or other sign languages of other languages whose scope has had the highest level of accuracy and recognition of letters and words. The objective of the current study is to develop and evaluate a sign language recognition system tailored to MSL. The research aims to achieve accurate recognition of dactylology and the first ten numerical digits (1–10) in MSL. A database of sign language and numeration of MSL was created with the 29 different characters of MSL’s dactylology and the first ten digits with a camera. Then, MediaPipe was first applied for feature extraction for both hands (21 points per hand). Once the features were extracted, Machine Learning and Deep Learning Techniques were applied to recognize MSL signs. The recognition of MSL patterns in the context of static (29 classes) and continuous signs (10 classes) yielded an accuracy of 92% with Support Vector Machine (SVM) and 86% with Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) accordingly. The trained algorithms are based on full scenarios with both hands; therefore, it will sign under these conditions. To improve the accuracy, it is suggested to amplify the number of samples. Full article

Background: Analyzing Y-chromosome short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) is essential in forensic genetics and population studies. The Yfiler™ Plus kit, which includes 27 Y-STR markers, enhances the discrimination power for forensic and kinship applications. However, this genetic system has not been analyzed in Mexican populations, which limits its application and representativeness in international databases. Objectives: We wished to examine the genetic diversity and forensic parameters of the 27 Y-STRs included in the YFiler™ Plus kit in two populations from Western Mexico (Jalisco and Michoacán). Methods: Male DNA samples were amplified using the Yfiler™ Plus kit, followed by a fragment analysis via capillary electrophoresis (CE). The haplotype frequencies and forensic parameters were calculated. The haplogroups of all samples were predicted, and the distribution and percentages of ancestries were determined. The Rst genetic distances, including reference populations, were calculated and graphically represented in a multidimensional scaling (MDS) plot. Results: A total of 224 haplotypes were identified in all of the samples, of which 98.66% corresponded to unique haplotypes. Bi- and tri-allelic patterns were observed in both populations. The observed discriminatory capacity was 98.4% for Jalisco and 98.9% for Michoacán, while the haplotype diversity values were 0.9998 and 0.9997, respectively. The most frequent haplogroup was R1b, followed by Q, representing the European and Native American ancestries, in both populations. Conclusions: This study is the first to report the haplotype diversity and forensic parameters of the 27 Y-STRs included in the Yfiler™ Plus kit in Mexican populations. These findings confirm the forensic utility of these markers for human identification, biological relationship testing, and criminal investigations, reinforcing their applicability in forensic casework. Full article

The genus Leptospira includes at least 69 Gram-negative, aerobic spirochetes, of which 25 are pathogenic and associated with a diverse range of mammals, including members of the order Chiroptera. On the American continent, there are six confirmed Leptospira species. Among these, the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), which ranges widely from northern Mexico to northern Argentina, has been reported to harbor four pathogenic taxa: Leptospira borgpetersenii, Leptospira interrogans, Leptospira weilii, and Leptospira cf. noguchii. All these species are frequently isolated from beef and dairy cattle, suggesting that contact with urine from infected cattle could serve as a potential source of infection for bats. However, previous studies have been limited by small sample sizes and low geographical representation among the countries where they were conducted. For this reason, the aim of this study was to identify the species of Leptospira associated with D. rotundus populations in five states within the Neotropical region of Mexico. Between 2015 and 2021, 54 bats were collected across five Mexican states. Our analysis identified the exclusive presence of L. interrogans in 13 specimens. The findings are discussed within the framework of a One Health perspective, emphasizing their relevance to understanding interspecies transmission dynamics. Full article

Background/Objectives: The excessive consumption of free sugars adversely impacts health, contributing to systemic disorders and significantly increasing the risk of dental caries. Children are particularly vulnerable to dental caries due to their dietary habits and oral hygiene practices. This study aimed to examine the relationship between sugar intake and dental caries experience in a sample of children aged 6–12 years. Methods: Data were analyzed from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) covering the years 2011–2016. This cross-sectional study utilized nationally representative data from NHANES, which provides comprehensive health assessments on the U.S. population. This study focused on 3658 children aged 6–12 years. Free sugar intake and its association with dental caries were evaluated using the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, a widely accepted measure for assessing cumulative caries experience in permanent teeth. Demographic and socioeconomic factors were also accounted for. The sample primarily consisted of generally healthy children, with mild to moderate health conditions included in the analysis. Results: The average Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) score was 1.69 (SD = 2.61). Untreated dental caries affected 19.1% of the sample, with disproportionately higher rates observed among Mexican American children (23.8%), children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds (24.2%), those with less-educated parents (25.1%), and overweight children (22.9%). Mean daily free sugar intake was 72.46 g (SD = 50.45), with significant variations across race/ethnicity, parental education, and gender. A statistically significant association was found between free sugar intake and dental caries in U.S. children (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Free sugar intake is strongly associated with an increased risk of dental caries. Disparities in caries prevalence were evident based on race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and parental education levels. Regulating sugar intake and promoting dietary education are effective strategies to reduce the risk of dental caries and improve oral health outcomes among children. Full article

Hispanic populations are disproportionately impacted by HPV-associated cancers. An HPV vaccine is available that protects against 90% of HPV-associated cancers. Understanding the factors associated with HPV vaccine uptake, including identifying whom individuals trust to recommend the HPV vaccine, is an important step toward developing public health interventions for promoting the HPV vaccine among Hispanic people. The purpose of this pilot study was to use a qualitative approach to identify trustworthy messengers to disseminate HPV vaccine information among Mexican American (MA) parents of children of 11–17 years of age. Three 90 min pilot focus groups with three to five participants in each group were conducted. The inclusion criteria included being 18 years of age or older, residing in El Paso, TX, identifying as MA, speaking English, and being a parent of a child between the ages of 11 and 17. Focus groups were conducted with 15 predominately female participants (M_age = 38.46, SD = 5.73; Female = 93.3%). A reoccurring theme throughout all three focus groups was that pediatricians, registered nurses, and pharmacists were identified as the most trusted sources of information. Findings from this study have implications for designing public health interventions that leverage pediatricians, registered nurses, and pharmacists to promote the HPV vaccine among parents. Full article